


Traditions Never Die (Just Like You and Me)

by diosraphael (forfitzsimmons)



Series: Hotel DuMort Chronicles (Saphael) [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, Fluff, Hanukkah, He just wants Simon to be happy, Holidays, M/M, Raphael is a softie, really he is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 10:59:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8888299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forfitzsimmons/pseuds/diosraphael
Summary: Simon thinks he can't celebrate Chanukah (Raphael proves him wrong). An interlude in the Hotel DuMort Chronicles.





	

**Author's Note:**

> With much interference from my cat, school, work, etc, I present my first Saphael fic since summer. I've returned and will be adding to all my works, including my chapter fics. Stay tuned for more cute.

Simon stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom. Outside, the snow was falling and coating New York’s streets in the icy sludge Simon used to trudge through to get to the bus stop back in high school. It was probably coating the tree in Times Square. It was probably piling up on his porch on the home he couldn’t go back to, _chanukiah_ lighting up the window in the kitchen.

Simon willed himself not to cry since it would only make him feel worse to see the blood streaming down his cheeks. Any other year, he’d be helping his mother make matzah ball soup and kugel (and by helping, he means stealing bits and pieces and generally getting in the way). He’d be pestering Rebecca about what she got him for each of the eight days and laughing at her sassy replies (“I got you one present, Si. You’ll just have to open the eight layers of wrapping paper one night at a time.”)

_Baruch atah ad—ad—ad--._

“Dammit, dammit, dammit!” Simon curled his hands into fists and resisted punching the bed. It’d likely break apart.

“What’s all the yelling about?” Raphael managed to slip through into Simon’s room without his notice. It was something Simon had already begun to get used to, but he wasn’t in the mood.

Simon turned away and shoved his face into a pillow. “Go away.” It was muffled, but he knew Raphael could hear it anyway.

“That’s no way to speak to your clan leader.” There was no heat behind the words, but the firmness remained.

“You’re shit at being empathetic.” Simon turned toward him, a deep frown etched onto his face.

“Being empathetic isn’t in the job description.” He moved to sit on the edge of Simon’s bed and sighed. “What’s wrong?”

Simon was silent for a moment. “Do you miss Christmas?”

“No.”

The answer caught Simon off guard, causing him to sit up with an incredulous look. “What?”

Raphael’s lips quirked up, “How can you miss what you still have, _idiota_? This clan is a family. We can still take from joy from the holidays. It helps some. There are many things we can never do again, but celebrating is not one of those things.”

“But I—I can’t even say…”

“G-d? I wouldn’t expect you to.” Raphael stood. “Get up. I have something to show you.”

Simon reluctantly got out of bed and followed Raphael down to a lounge he’d never seen anyone go into before. He stepped in after Raphael and gaped.

There sat a Christmas tree with ornaments and lights, but also a _chanukiah_ on the coffee table in the middle, ready to be lit. The room was decorated with both Christmas and Chanukah colors and Simon nearly cried when he saw the Star of David ornament on the tree.

“What?” His intelligent reply was met with a raised eyebrow. “It’s, I can’t, what?”

Raphael grew quiet for a moment, smirk fading to something more solemn. “My family did not have much money, but we had one tradition every year that stuck even if we could not afford presents.” He walked over and traced his hand over the Star of David ornament. “Every year, we each would add one new ornament to whatever tree we could get. My mother said it was so we could remember that every year brought something new.”

“She sounds like a wise woman.”

“She was,” he said simply. He reached behind the tree and grabbed a sparkling blue and silver orb. “I ask everyone to add an ornament to the tree every year. There is a larger tree in the common room downstairs, but this one is for when someone needs some time alone.” Raphael looked away, “I put the star on since you wouldn’t be able to touch it. You can put this one on if you want.”

Simon gently took the ornament in hand. It looked like many other ornaments he’d seen hanging on Christmas trees, but it felt infinitely more precious. He approached the ornament-covered tree and placed his orb right next to the Star of David. A soft smile made its way onto Simon’s face.

“Thank you, Raphael.” He bit his lip. “Will you… when Chanukah comes, will you light the candles with me? I—I don’t know if I’ll be able to touch them.”

Raphael turned to face him again. He placed a hand on Simon’s shoulder and nodded. “I will.”

Simon couldn’t help but engulf Raphael in a hug. It took a few seconds before Raphael wrapped his arms around him in kind.

“Thank you,” Simon whispered.

“Yeah, yeah. Just don’t cry blood on my shirt.”

Simon released a watery laugh and Raphael would forever deny the gentle smile he couldn’t stop from forming.


End file.
